AFC West: Week 5 Recap
Peyton Manning was breaking records again Sunday.
For a division devoid of excitement and drama a year ago, the AFC West continues to be one of the more noteworthy divisions in football this year.
Like the four weeks previous, Week 5 saw no shortage of excitement or drama from the division, where the Denver Broncos were involved in a shootout, the Kansas City Chiefs continued their ride from dead last to dead serious contender, and the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders competed in a (very) late Sunday night showdown.
Read on for the BettingSports.com recap of Week 5 in the AFC West and a sneak peak ahead to Week 6.
Denver Broncos 51, Dallas Cowboys 48
Denver celebrates a game-winning field goal.
Apparently, the Denver Broncos (5-0) aren’t the only team that can put up some gaudy offensive numbers. The Dallas Cowboys (2-3) proved Sunday that they have some serious offensive talent, perhaps more than many thought. It was the Broncos though that got the better of a shootout at AT&T Stadium, just.
To the surprise of many, the Cowboys hurtled out to a 17-7 lead early in the second quarter before Peyton Manning reeled off a pair of touchdown passes and scored on the ground on a quarterback keeper that fooled everybody in the stadium. The Broncos went into the locker room at halftime leading 28-20,
While most probably expected Denver to use another second half surge to put the Cowboys away, Jason Garrett’s team continued to trade blows with Manning and Co., scoring four second half touchdowns to take a 48-41 lead midway through the fourth quarter. A Knowshon Moreno rushing touchdown tied the game before an errant pass from Tony Romo, who threw for a career-high 506 yards and tallied five touchdowns, was picked off by Danny Trevathon to setup a 28-yard game-winning Matt Prater field goal as time expired.
Manning continued his own personal record-breaking streak, throwing four touchdown passes to make it 20 touchdowns in five games, an NFL record. On the flipside, he also threw his first interception of the season, getting picked off by Morris Claiborne late in the third quarter.
Vegas Impact: For the second time in three weeks, the Broncos (3-2-0 ATS) failed to cover the spread, while the Cowboys (4-1-0 ATS) remain one of the NFL’s best against the spread. Understandably with the two teams combining for 99 points, the total went over. Every Broncos game this season has seen the total go over.
Up Next: Denver (5-0, 3-0 home) returns to the Mile High City set to host the winless Jacksonville Jaguars (0-5, 0-3 road) on Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET). The Jags actually mounted some offense this weekend but still came up on the losing end. The Broncos will be favored by a margin that’s surely no far off record-setting.
Opening Odds – Favorite: Denver Spread: 27 Over/Under: 50.5 (matchup)
Kansas City Chiefs 26, Tennessee Titans 17
Jamaal Charles put the Chiefs up for good.
The Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) may not be as pleasing on the eye as their division rivals in the Rockies, but the team continues to play tough, tight football. More important than that: the Chiefs keep on winning.
Andy Reid’s revitalized side made the trip to Nashville looking to get the better of a surprising Tennessee Titans (3-2) side. The Chiefs did exactly that, albeit in methodical fashion. The Chiefs benefitted from a Titans’ fumble in the end zone early in the game, with Marcus Cooper falling on the ball for a touchdown. A pair of Ryan Succop field goals rounded out the entire first half of scoring, as the Chiefs went into the locker room with a 13-0 lead.
The Titans fought back in the second half, dialing up 17 straight points to take the lead. Jamaal Charles would give Kansas City the lead for good midway through the fourth, scoring from a yard out while Cooper and Quintin Demps each intercepted Titans’ quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Succop added another brace of field goals for the 26-17 victory.
The Chiefs moved on to 5-0 for the first time since 2003 while Reid picked up his first ever win over Tennessee.
Vegas Impact: Kansas City (4-1-0 ATS) continues to be a threat against the spread, covering for the third straight game. Tennessee (3-1-1 ATS) meanwhile failed to cover outright for the first time this year. The total went over for the first time in a game involving the Chiefs this season.
Up Next: Kansas City (5-0, 2-0 home) will play its first divisional game of the season Sunday (1:00 p.m. ET) when the Oakland Raiders (2-3, 0-2 road) come to visit. The Chiefs have lost five straight to the Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium, a trend they’ll look to snap in this one. The Chiefs open as the favorite.
Opening Odds – Favorite: Kansas City Spread: 9.5 Over/Under: 42 (matchup)
San Diego Chargers 17, Oakland Raiders 27
Terrelle Pryor led the Raiders to victory.
It appears the Oakland Raiders (2-3) may not be quite as bad as was expected at the beginning year. That or the San Diego Chargers (2-3) are a lot worse. Getting a handle on either AFC West side continues to be an arduous task, but for now the Raiders have all the bragging rights following Sunday’s 27-17 victory at Oakland Coliseum.
Oakland built a 17-0 lead going into halftime thanks to two touchdown passes from Terrelle Pryor, returning after missing last week’s loss to the Washington Redskins with concussion. Pryor would go on to finish the game 18 of 23 for 221 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, rewarding the support the Raiders organization have shown him early in the season.
The Raiders built the lead to 24-3 in the third as Charles Woodson recovered a Danny Woodhead fumble and returned it for a touchdown. The score marked the 13th defensive touchdown of Woodson’s career, tying him for most all-time with Darren Sharper and Rod Woodson.
The Chargers, involved in so many comebacks one way or another this season, mounted a response, with Drew Brees hitting Woodhead and Keenan Allen for touchdown passes. The Raiders managed to hold off the Chargers though, twice picking Rivers off in the last five minutes.
Oakland released backup quarterback Matt Flynn on Monday, despite owing the first-year Raider somewhere in the region of $6.3 million this season. Flynn, who was beaten out by Russell Wilson for the Seattle Seahawks starting job last season, once again finds himself surplus to requirement.
Vegas Impact: Ever the underdog, Oakland (4-1-0 ATS) covered the spread for the fourth time this season, while San Diego (3-1-1 ATS) failed to cover outright for the first time. The total went under, as has been the trend with Oakland (1-4-0).
Up Next (Oakland): The Raiders (2-3, 0-2 road) travel to the City of Fountains to take on the Chiefs on Sunday (1:00 p.m. ET). Oakland has won three straight against the Chiefs and five of the last six. The Raiders also have a five-game winning streak at Arrowhead Stadium.
Opening Odds – Favorite: Kansas City Spread: 9.5 Over/Under: 42 (matchup)
Up Next (San Diego): The Chargers (2-3, 1-1 home) will return to Qualcomm Stadium to host the Indianapolis Colts (4-1, 2-0 road) on Monday Night Football. The Colts handed the Seahawks their first loss of the season this past weekend, and will open as the (narrow) favorite. San Diego has won two straight and five of the last six against Indianapolis.
Opening Odds – Favorite: Indianapolis Spread: 1 Over/Under: 46 (matchup)
